Ski pole wrist straps



Dec. 10, 1963 P. w. PHILLlPsoN sx1 POLE WRIST STRAPS Filed Sept. 28,1962 INVENToR. Pff/UP l/Z/ PMU/Psa @ORA/ Y United States Patent Gti-.ice

3,113,786 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 3,113,786 SKI POLE WRIST STRAPS PhillipWilliam Phillpson, Denver, Colo., assignor to Phillipson Rod & TackleC0., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado 'Filed Sept. 28, 1962,Ser. No. 226,992

4 Claims. (Cl. 280--11.37)

This invention relates to ski poles of the type used by snow skiers. Skipoles of this type usually comprise a cane-like shank having a hand gripat the upper extremity and a snow penetrating point or spike at thelower extremity. A disc or ring, usually called a basket, is mounted onthe shank adjacent the spike to limit the amount of insertion of thespike and to self-support the pole in the snow and a Wrist strap isattached to the hand grip for securing the pole to the wrist of theskier.

This invention relates more specifically to the wrist straps of the skipoles. These straps, while necessary to prevent accidental loss of theski poles, have been the cause of serious injuries to the skiers.Frequently, during swift descent on a ski slope, the basket of a skipole may catch upon roots, rocks, trees or other obstructions and sincethe poles are anchored to the skiers wrists, the result is a sudden jerkor pulling stress which may result in serious injury to the skier.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a wrist strap forski poles which will accomplish all of the necessary functions of theconventional strap and yet which when subjected to stresses of unusualdirection and unusual intensity will instantly release the wrist of theskier to prevent injury.

Another object is to provide a hand grip and wrist strap assembly forski poles which will enable the wrist strap to be quickly, easily andsecurely adjusted as to length and which will completely enclose,conceal and store any unused portion of the strap out of the way of theskier.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and eliiciency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of the improved hand grip and wriststrap assembly for ski poles in place upon the upper extremity of a skipole;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the hand grip and wrist strapassembly of FIG. l;

FIG, 3 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3, FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, detail view of the upper portion of the handgrip showing a releasing position of the wrist strap to be laterdescribed; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view partially broken away to show analternate attachment for the wrist strap.

In the drawing, the upper extremity of a tubular ski pole is shown at1i) over which a molded hand grip 11 is permanently tted. The wriststrap for attaching the ski pole to the wrist of the skier isillustrated at 12. This invention relates, more particularly, to themeans for attaching the strap 12 to the hand grip 11 so that it will beautomatically released in cas eof accident.

The invention contemplates forming a rounded semispherical top 13 on thegrip l1 having a strap passage 14 formed in one side thereof andcommunicating with Cil the hollow interior of the pole 10 at the upperextremity of the latter.

The strap passage 14 has a width slightly in excess of the width of thestrap 12 and is formed with a flat inclined front wall 15 and arelatively short rounded rear wall 16. The front wall 15 is drilled toreceive a strap attachment screw 17 and a conventional male snapfastener element 18 is tlxedly mounted on the hand grip 11 immediatelybelow the rounded rear wall 16 of the strap passage 14.

The wrist strap 12 is provided with a plurality of spaced female snapfastener elements 20 adjacent its lower extremity. The upper extremityof the strap is iixedly secured to the grip 11 between clamping Washers19 by means of the attachment screw 17 and is then turned or folded backon itself to form a Wrist loop 21. The lower extremity of the strap ispassed into and through the strap passage 14 so as to depend within thepole 10 as shown in FIG. 3. After the loop 21 has been adjusted to t theskiers wrist, it is secured in the adjusted position by snapping thefastener element 2i), which is nearest the fixed fastener element 18,upon the latter xed fastener. The plurality of fastener elements 20provide a wide range of adjustment of the size of the wrist loop 21.

It is characteristic of snap fasteneres that they will withstand extremestresses applied in directions at an angle to their axes withoutseparation, but when the stresses are applied in a generally axialdirection, the fastener elements will be readily tilted or peeled apart.This invention takes advantage of this natural characteristic for whenin normal use the wrist strap will tend to pull downwardly, that is,sidewardly on the attached snap fasteners, so that the latter willremain fastened. However, should the ski pole become entangled during arun, the direction of pull on the wrist strap will be as indicated bythe arrow A in FIG. 4, that is, in axial alignment with the ski pole andsubstantially at right angles to the axis of the fastener elements 18and 2t) so that the latter elements are relatively tilted and instantlypried apart, as indicated by the arrow B, to release the skiers wrist toprevent injury,

An alternate means of attaching the upper extremity of a wrist strap isillustrated in FIG. 5. This form is similar to the previously describedform in every way except that the upper extremity of the Wrist strap,indicated at 22, is inserted into a strap socket 23 formed in the cap ofthe grip. The inserted strap terminal is locked in place in the socket23 by means. of a set screw 24 threaded into the cap of the grip andextending through the terminal extremity of the strap as shown in FIG.5-

In all forms of the invention, the free extremity of the wrist strap iscompletely contained within the hollow pole 10 out of the way of theskier. The portion of the strap positioned in the pole also acts toprevent rotation of the strap about the axis of the fixed fastenerelement 18 so that the loop 21 will always depend downwardly from thefastener element 18 so that upward pull on the strap will act toseparate the fastener elements 18 and 20 initially at their lowerperipheries.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied,within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

1. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a ski polecomprising: a hand grip fitted downwardly over the upper extremity ofsaid pole; a lixed fastening means securing one extremity of said strapto said hand grip; a iirst snap fastener element afixed to said handgrip below said fixed fastening means; and a second' coacting snapfastener element mounted on said strap adjacent lthe other extremity ofthe latter and in engagement with said first snap fastener element toform a wrist loop in said strap, the axes of said engaged snap fastenerelements being positioned substantially at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of said ski pole so that tension between said loop andsaid pole in the direction of the axis of the latter will act to prysaid elements apart.

2. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a tubular ski polecomprising: a hand grip fitted downwardly over said ski pole; a capportion on said hand grip over the open upper extremity of said pole; astrap passage entering the side of said cap portion and communicatingwith said open extremity; means securing one extremity of said wriststrap to said grip above the entrance of said strap passage, the otherextremity of said strap extending through said strap passage andterminating within said ski pole; and detachable means securing saidstrap to the exterior of said grip below the entrance of said passage toform a wrist loop in the medial portion of said strap which when pulledupwardly will detach said detachable means.

3. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a tubular ski pole asdescribed in claim 2 in which the detachable means comprises asnap-fastener element lixedly mounted on said grip immediately below theentrance of said strap passage and a cooperating snap-fastener elementon said strap snapped over the rst element.

4. Means for detachably attaching a wrist strap to a tubular ski pole asdescribed in claim 3, in which the strap passage has two side walls, afront wall and a rear wall, the means for securing the rst extremity ofsaid strap being mounted on said front wall so that said strap willnormally extend rst upwardly thence outwardly and downwardly and thenceupwardly past said snap-fastener element thence inwardly over said rearwall and downwardly through said strap passage and into the hollowinterior of said ski pole.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,946,600 Cubberley July 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 173,396 Austria Dec.10, 1952 558,814 Germany Sept. 12, 1932 81,605 Norway Apr. 7, 195386,019 Norway Aug. 8, 1955 195,360 Switzerland Apr. 16, 1938 237,921Switzerland Sept. 1, 1945

1. MEANS FOR DETACHABLY ATTACHING A WRIST STRAP TO A SKI POLECOMPRISING: A HAND GRIP FITTED DOWNWARDLY OVER THE UPPER EXTREMITY OFSAID POLE; A FIXED FASTENING MEANS SECURING ONE EXTREMITY OF SAID STRAPTO SAID HAND GRIP; A FIRST SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT AFFIXED TO SAID HANDGRIP BELOW SAID FIXED FASTENING MEANS; AND A SECOND COACTING SNAPFASTENER ELEMENT MOUNTED ON SAID STRAP ADJACENT THE OTHER EXTREMITY OFTHE LATTER AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST SNAP FASTENER ELEMENT TOFORM A WRIST LOOP IN SAID STRAP, THE AXES OF SAID ENGAGED SNAP FASTENERELEMENTS BEING POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THELONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SKI POLE SO THAT TENSION BETWEEN SAID LOOP ANDSAID POLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF THE LATTER WILL ACT TO PRYSAID ELEMENTS APART.